UUA President to Advocate on June 11th for Commission of Inquiry into Torture

In Washington, DC, on Thursday, June 11th, Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) President Rev. William G. Sinkford will participate in a press conference, public witness event, and White House meeting organized by the National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT). He and other religious leaders will call on President Barack Obama to establish a commission of inquiry to investigate U.S.-sponsored torture since 9/11.

Sinkford will be participating in the following events:

Press conference at 11 a.m. at the National Press Club. Sinkford and other religious leaders will discuss the letter to Obama (PDF) that they have signed. The press conference access dial-in number is (800) 704-9804; the passcode is 115594#.

Public witness event at noon in Lafayette Square. The public witness will include statements from Sinkford and seven other heads of religious groups.

Meeting with senior administration officials at 2 p.m. at the White House. Sinkford will be part of a delegation of 30 religious leaders meeting with senior administration officials to advocate for a commission of inquiry.

"By calling for a commission of inquiry, we affirm our own humanity and take a critical step towards ending U.S.-sponsored torture," said Sinkford. "We cannot undo the past by turning our backs on it. Only by learning our full history can we begin to atone for our country's conduct, and create safeguards to ensure that this history is not repeated."

On April 28, 2009, Sinkford and Unitarian Universalist Service Committee President and CEO Charlie Clements wrote a joint letter to Obama advocating for a commission of inquiry. “It is not enough simply to promise to stop doing what we know is immoral and illegal,” they wrote. “We must show that we mean it when we say ‘never again’ by making public the full story, including how the horrific practices came to happen and who was responsible for authorizing them.”

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